Biologist from Vt Fish & Wildlife and NEK Audubon to Lead
VICTORY, Vt. – Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department and Northeast Kingdom Audubon are excited to partner on a birding and wildlife-viewing tour at Victory Basin Wildlife Management Area on May 16. Doug Morin, a wildlife biologist with Fish & Wildlife, and Tom Berriman, an experienced birder with Northeast Kingdom Audubon, will co-lead this wildlife-based exploration of a truly unique part of Vermont.
“We’ll focus on finding the birds of Victory Basin WMA – both the exciting new arrivals of spring migrants, and some of the year-round residents, including rare boreal species,” said Morin. “We’ll also keep eye out for trees, flowers, tracks, and any other curiosities we find along the way. Victory Basin is a vast lowland boreal forest that is common in northern Canada but rare here in Vermont, allowing visitors to feel like they’ve stepped into another world. We have a chance of spotting boreal wildlife such as gray jays, rusty blackbirds, snowshoe hare, and moose.”
Two sessions will be offered on May 16: one from 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and a second from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Participants are asked to bring binoculars and to wear appropriate clothing for being outdoors, including rain-proof layers. Waterproof boots are highly recommended, and spotting scopes and field guides are welcome. Participants should also be able to walk 1-2 miles at a relaxed pace over a relatively flat trail.
The public can register for the event by visiting bit.ly/VTFWbirding. Admission is free and is limited to the first 14 people who sign up for each session. Questions may be directed to Doug Morin at doug.morin@vermont.gov.
For information on other birding trips in the Northeast Kingdom, visit NEK Audubon at https://nek-audubon.squarespace.com/.
Victory Basin is one of 93 wildlife management areas owned and managed by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department for wildlife-based recreation such as hunting, fishing, and wildlife watching. These lands are purchased and managed in part using funds from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Wildlife Restoration Program using excise taxes on hunting and shooting equipment.